Constant liquid feed apparatus



Aug. 21, 1934. c. BIRD 1,970,880

7 CONSTANT LIQUID FEED APPARATUS Filed Oct. 28, 1932 36 3 I 2/ K 8 3 37 u 26 37 I 2 2 OI .0. :6 3a I6 I I5 I Z2 9 20 /5 r1 l 2 -3 E 1 \'l 7 35 l8 5 L32 4 ll L Lloyd C. 51 121) 30. forming part of this. invention.

Patented Aug. 21, 1934 CONSTANT re 1310.88.10 y 1 UID reno-arraaarns Lloyd Bird, Richmond, Va. Application October 28, 1932, Serial 640,118. 3"Claims. (o1. 137-20) This invention relates to apparatusv for dispensin liquids from a container at constant rates of flow.

The main object of the invention is to. produce a an inexpensive apparatus for 'dispensing, at any desired predetermined rate, liquid matter, such s solutions. commonlyused in the chemical treatm rit of water supply systems.

Another objector the invention. is to. provide '10 n: apparatus. of this character which will feed liquid: from. a container. at any desired constant rate efiflow. irrespective. of the height of liquid within the container.

A further object of the invention is. to provide 15 apparatus. of. the character described with mechanism. for maintaining the apparatus always in QQnd tion for immediate operation.

. other objects. of the invention will become ape parent as. the detailed description thereof pro.- 20; eeeds:

In the drawing;

i ure 1 is a central vertical section through apparatus, embodying this. invention, parts thereof? being shown. in side elevation;

Figure 2 is a front elevation, of a siphon and a loat. controlled support for the same Figure 3 is a horizontal section to. an enlarged scale taken on the line 33 of Figure l;- and -Figure 4; is a. side elevation of a siphon support As shown in Figure '1 of the drawing. the'apparatus comprises a liquid container or tank 1 suitably supported on a bracket 2 which is fixed to a wall or other support 3. The tank 1 is provided with an overflow pipe 4 extending through the bottom thereof. The upper end of the tank 2 is secured in position by means of a bracket 5 extending from the wall 3 and terminating in a cylindrical seat 6 adapted to receive the lower outwardly flared end '7 of a liquid supply pipe 8 which is connected at its upper end to a pipe 9 leading to'a source of liquid supply.

The outwardly flared end 7 of the pipe 8 is provided with inwardly extending ribs 10 adapted to form guides for the stem 11 of'a float 12. The upper end of the stem 11 is provided with a valve plug 13 adapted to move toward and from a valve seat 14 formed at the intersection of the tube 8 with its outwardly flared end '7. It will be apparent that the float 12 operates in accordance with the liquid level in the tank 1 to open or close the valve seat 14, and thereby automatically control the supply of liquid to the tank 1.

A frame 15 is suitably secured as by straps 16 and 1.7 to the wall 3. immediately above the ten of the tank 1.. Links 18; and 1.9 have one end; or each pivoted. to the frame 1e and extend parallel to each other and have their other ends pivoted to. vertical members 20 and 20 of. a frame 21 similar to. frame. 1.5. The member 20- of the frame 21 has a. plate 22. suitably secured to the side thereof; and this plate provided with olamping'straps. 23, 24 and 25 for securing a siphon 26 rigidly thereto. The siphon, 26, has one leg 27 extending; downwardly into the liquid L; in the container 1.. The other lee; 28 of the siphon extends. into a vessel 2.9 suitably secured, as by the strap 30 to the front wall ofthe tank 1:.

The plate 22; is provided with guide sleeves 31 andv 32- slidably receiving the stem 3301. a float 34 immersed in the. liquid L in the. tank 1. The stem 33.- is. provided with a scale 35 adapted to be read against the edge. of the sleeve 32' for the purpose of. indicating either the'distanceh between the level of liquid in the tank and the end of the leg- 28 of the siphon, or the rate oi flowoi liquid through the siphon. The plate 22 along with the. frame 21 may be adjustedup and down along the, stem 33- by means of a screw 36 screw.- threaded through a bushing 37 fixed to the upper end of the plate 22, the lower end of the screw 36 being provided with a. button or washer 38 supported. by the top. of; the stem..33:. It willhe obvious from inspection of the drawing. that the adiustment of the screw 36 will cause the outer framework of the. parallelogram structure sup; portingthe. siphon. 26.; to. rise. and fallrelative to the liquid level in the tank 1, and moveithe lower end of the leg 28 of the siphon relative to tank 1 so as to vary the hydrostatic head of liquid in the siphon and regulate the rate of flow of liquid from the tank 1 into the vessel 29.

The vessel 29 is provided between its ends with a discharge pipe 39. The object of the vessel 29 is to form a trap for the liquid in the siphon whenever the apparatus is out of operation. It will be obvious that whenever it is desired to stop the operation of the siphon all that is necessary is to adjust the screw 36 to lower the siphon until the lower end of the leg 28 becomes immersed in the liquid in the vessel 29 below its connection with the pipe 39. By this means the siphon may be always maintained full of liquid and ready to resume operation upon the mere adjustment of the siphon upwardly relative to the float 34 to the desired position along the scale 35 of the stem 33.

The vessel 29 is of peculiar importance in this invention. It serves to catch the drip or flow from the siphon and provides an outlet to the distank 1, it is obvious that the liquid level will fall until the level of liquid in the tank coincides with the liquid level in the vessel 29.

In the design of the apparatus, the float 34 is loaded so that whenthe liquid level in tank 1 coincides with'that' in the:vessel 29, the lower end of the siphon leg 28 will be slightly immersed in the liquid trapped in vessel 29. When this takes place, flow of liquid through the siphon stops," each end of the siphon is sealed and the siphon rev 'of 'its'attendant' advantages will be understood mains full. When liquid. is again fed" into the tank 1 to establish a difference in levelibetween.

the liquid in the said tank and in the vessel 29, the siphon immediately begins to feed liquid from the tank to the said vessel. 7

In practice, when the apparatus is used in the chemicaltreatmentof a water supply system, the tank 1 is not the :main solution tank butis con 'sidered as a small-auxiliary tank, the main solution being storedin large containers. In order to governthe-flow of solution from the large containers into the tank 1, the float controlledvalve 13 -14 is used. This valve is not required to maintain a constant level in the tank, because the floating siphon maintains its own constant head, regardless of the liquid level in the tank, except when the apparatus is out of operation and the level in said tank-1 and vessel 29 coincide. Should this float control valve fail, a safety'feature is provided in the overflow pipe 4.'

An alternative method of producing control of the output of the float siphon feeder consists in mounting the siphon 26 rigidly on the float 34 and in loading thefloat 34 so that it will just sink in thesolution, control is then had by supporting this combination over acpulley by a counterbalance weight;- It will be obvious that asthecount'erbalance :weight is varied the float 34 willvary in its distance of immersion in the liquid'L inthe tank 1 and will cause the hydrostatic head h to vary. This variationin construction is merely described to show that the operation of the apparatus is not dependent upon the use of theparallelogram frame structure shown in the drawing; although such frame structure is preferred. Other modifications of'the device will occur to those skilled in'the art, but such modifica= tions are not to be considered as departing fundamentally-from the principle of the. apparatus.

"is t In prior types of apparatus of this character, attempts have been made to maintain the level of the liquid in the tank 1 absolutely, and to provide a variable orifice in the tank such as a stop cock or needle valve through which the solution flows. Devices of this character are subject to clogging much more readily than are the large open tubes which can be used in a siphon. Therefore, such prior apparatus is not nearly so suitable for producing constant flow-of solutions, which may be so corrosive as to clog up and seriously affect the operation of any valves which may be provided in the apparatus.

. It isthought that the invention and numerous from the foregoing description and it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of my invention, or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages; the formherein described being a preferredembodiment for the purpose of illustrating my invention. I

What I.claim is:

1. In constant liquid feed apparatus, the com'-' bination. of. a support, aztank fixed to said support, means for maintaining a substantially constant liquid level in the tank, a vessel secured to the tankand having'a discharge outlet below said liquid level, a siphon vertically movable with respect to said. tank and vessel and having its legs depending therein respectively, a float in the tank and means for adjustably supporting the siphon onthefloat.

v 2. The structure of claim 1 in which the siphon supporting means includes a frame to which the siphon is fixed, means pivotally connecting the frameto said support whereby it is restricted to vertical movementrelative to said tank, guides in the frame, a stem on the float slidable in said guides, and an adjusting screw carried by the frame and in contact with the end of the stem.

.3.The structure of claim 1 in which the siphon supporting means-includes a frame to whichthe siphon is secured,-guides'on the frame, a stern on the float slidable vertically in said guides, an adjusting screw on the frame adapted to engage the upper end of the float stem, and spaced parallel arms pivotally connecting-the frame to said support whereby said "frame isrestricted to vertical movement with respect to the tank.

I LLOYD c. BIRD. 1 

